Course design

I can't see why, with all the talented professional and casual golfers playing today, why anyone would pay for a course designer.

It's not something you can learn in school, its something you learn by playing courses. There is no degree for this, and you dont have to know anything about horticulture or be a skilled arborist. Course layouts are usually governed by terrain and money, there is no skill needed to figure out where to put holes, just imagination.

I bet a ten year old kid with basic disc golf skills could design a course just as well as one of these so called "Professional Course Designers".

Heck , I know when I'm driving around, or walking through a local park, I can easily visualize lanes and areas that would be outstanding for a disc golf course.

I think any public funds that are spent on course design, or consulting are a waste with so many willing volunteers ready to help out. Most golfers I know would jump at the chance to be involved in the developement of a new course, not for the money, but because, like me they are passionate about the game.

I for one will aggresively oppose any money given to an individual, or company, towards course design by my local governing agencies. I think it's just slackers pulling a scam.
Can you say "Monorail".

What a nice easy job, getting paid to travel around and tell people where to put targets in a park.

Of course, if you want to develope a private course, with private money, then more power to you, you can throw your money any way you want, I will be happy to assist you in design and developement of your new world class layout for a nominal fee.

Comment

I think that a course is designed to the limitations of the designer. Skill, knowledge of the skill of those playing, and their imagination are just a few of the limitations. True, anybody can design a course but I think it takes knowledge and experience to design a great course. Not just looking at a piece of land and saying I would like to... but looking at that same piece of land and saying it would be cool if Climo... Being able to expand past self limitations and expectations is what is being advertised not just course design.

Comment

The most important design tip is:
When you think you have a hole designed Tee and basket positions Stand at basket and look back to see if it plays better the other way.

We use a 10-12' piece of PVC (painted orange at the top) to be able to see both places. Once we figure it out then we use 2-4' stake 1 for the box,1- basket. orange tape to make both sides of the fairway, Pink to designate what is to be left. Now it's pretty much brainless to show and complete

Comment

The most important design tip is:
When you think you have a hole designed Tee and basket positions Stand at basket and look back to see if it plays better the other way.

We use a 10-12' piece of PVC (painted orange at the top) to be able to see both places. Once we figure it out then we use 2-4' stake 1 for the box,1- basket. orange tape to make both sides of the fairway, Pink to designate what is to be left. Now it's pretty much brainless to show and complete

I am helping design a private 18 hole course right now. It's going ot be pretty awesome. He wants to hold contests and have open play also. it will be a Hornings hideout style course (pay-play) on his 42 private acres. It is 10 minutes form Pier park. Just over the St. Johns bridge and over Forest park and you are there. It's actually fun designing a course. We need to squeeze one more hole in somewhere though. but we have some technical holes through trees, we have some long open holes, we have some short holes and we have a hole over a bit of water.

Comment

I love the idea of being paid to design golf courses! The only problem with it at this stage of disc golf is that money dictates that most courses are designed using only the land shape and obstacles that are already there. Imagine having the money to design disc golf courses the same way as ball golf courses. Building contour, building water features! Designing the flow of the courses not to the trees that are there, but putting the trees where you want them. Until, disc golf reaches the financial level of ball golf, I agree paying for course design isn't neccesary. But, Im glad there are people (John Houck) thinking this far ahead!

Comment

I disagree with the notion that anybody can design a course. Course design takes a special kind of vision and advanced understanding of the game. Whenever possible, multiple designers, or at least consultants should look at each hole to ensure that it can be played a variety of ways (with risk/reward, of course).

Comment

I think that a course is designed to the limitations of the designer. Skill, knowledge of the skill of those playing, and their imagination are just a few of the limitations. True, anybody can design a course but I think it takes knowledge and experience to design a great course. Not just looking at a piece of land and saying I would like to... but looking at that same piece of land and saying it would be cool if Climo... Being able to expand past self limitations and expectations is what is being advertised not just course design.

You're absolutly right about having to expand beyound self limitations when designing a course. When putting in fairways (taking out a few trees) you have to imagine someone who can both throw far and accurate, something I'm not up to yet (not even close ). Imagining the perfect throw and flight path, making it wide enough to be a true fairway yet narrow enough to separate skill from huk and pray. Then trying to do this in a set amount of land, making the best use of it all is a bit more than a ten year old can do, but maybe twelve.

Comment

I disagree with the notion that anybody can design a course. Course design takes a special kind of vision and advanced understanding of the game. Whenever possible, multiple designers, or at least consultants should look at each hole to ensure that it can be played a variety of ways (with risk/reward, of course).

Agreed. Plus there's also things to take into account such as safety, flow, long term viability, environmental factors, room for expansion, etc.

There are very few courses in the area that one could legitimately call "well designed." I believe Chuck K. once said something like there are only 2 qualified designers in the entire PNW. Coincidence?

Comment

The reason course design isn't held in higher respect by players is that most players are influenced more by the terrain, aesthetics, maintenance, tee pads and park amenities than they are by design. If all holes were downhill and curved left, that course might be the most popular around.

The sport has very few injuries so safety has not been a concern for players. So a designer who plans for 1 in a million possibilities for injury isn't valued over one who does things where an injury might occur 1 in 10,000 throws.

The biggest failing of rookie designers is not designing for a particualr player skill level or knowing how to do it then confirming that they did (see recent article on PDGA.com: http://www.pdga.com/course-design-validation ). Many rookie designs are inconsistent to skill level, unbalanced or tougher than the expectation of the Parks Department that citizen beginners would be served by the design, even if shorter tees involved.

Comment

I totally agree, that's the funnest thing I do with golf, every week I make a new course, and it makes me feel good week in and week out the praises i get for the course, i basiclly have three formulas that i use for everycourse i design, i too wish on many occasions that i could have been involved with course making to give a different view of things